the camp, the princess and Baldrich continued the hard training to which the White Magician had subjected them since they left their den.
Hours later, the group was ready to dine the appetizing fish which they had fished abundantly in the wild river, and which had been roasted and piled up waiting to be shared, but suddenly they all disappeared swallowed by the ground.
As they approached cautiously, they saw a tunnel gradually entering the earth's interior.
“Mole-men!” Garin said.
“Yes, they populate these lands and they're getting more and more extensive. With an extraordinary sense of smell and an insatiable appetite, they will have come to the smell of our supper," corroborated the White Magician.
“Are they dangerous?” Syriel wanted to know.
“They wouldn't be in an open-field-battle, because they are almost blind and very clumsy on the surface. But, well-coordinated, they could sink the ground that supports an entire army in a single instant and leave them trapped in a dead-end," said the magician.
“Then, as a precaution, we should move to those rocks," proposed the prince.
“It would be prudent, yes," accepted the magician. “Although I don't think they’d attack us, they're not violent if they're not disturbed. They are very frightened and slippery, but I will try to ask for their help," said the elf.
“Help?” Syriel was surprised.
“They could solve our problem of crossing the river," said the pearled sorcerer.
“A tunnel under the river! Magnificent!” exclaimed the prince enthusiastically. “I will accompany you," proposed Syriel.
“It is better that I go alone, I can guide myself well in the darkness. Carrying torches or any source of light would be taken as a sign of hostility for them. If someone were walking with me, I would only delay and frighten the mole men," concluded the elf magician.
A few moments later, the White Magician was lost in the darkness of the tunnel.
Elenir perceived as a large group of small minds lurking crouched where they were about to pass: a narrow passage between two elevations of steep rocks.
The princess made an energetic gesture of stop and all the retinue stopped at once, vigilant before an imminent danger.
The mental exploration of the powerful sorceress detected the restlessness of the creatures when they were uncovered, although she was unable to discern the type of enemy that was trying to ambush them, but she did know that they were not of great size and felt safe to defeat the victim who had discovered them, which worried Elenir even more.
After weighing several options, the princess threw two powerful rays of fire upward on each side of the road, causing two landslides and rocks that dragged most of the surprised vermin, killing and bad tempering much of them.
The dark ones saw that they were horrendous and small beast of the approximate size of an arm, with very powerful jaws of very sharp teeth which would have got them into trouble if they had it not been detected them before.
After finishing off the wounded creatures and making sure there was no more stalking, they proceeded on their way with as much caution as possible.
At dawn, the White Magician returned to the surface, and when he stood before the princes, he informed everyone.
“They will help us, but first we have to help them. In one of their galleries a beast has slipped in that terrifies them and does not allow them to pass. If we get rid of that beast, they will dig the tunnel under the river for us," said the snowy wizard.
“Do you know what kind of creature it is?” asked Syriel.
“Well, some people said that he was throwing heat. I've thought of a dragon, although it wouldn't fit in these galleries; maybe it's a baby or maybe some other kind of creature we don't know. In any case, I don't think it's very dangerous, because if it were, there wouldn't be any mole-man alive down there," replied the wise magician.
A few minutes later, a retinue formed by the princes, the White Magician, Baldrich, Bellamir, Garin, five human soldiers and five orcs entered the galleries.
“Who is going to lead us to the beast?” the prince asked.
“They have shown me where it is," replied the magician. “I think I will know how to take you there without losing us.”
The white-skinned sorcerer brought out of his hands some luminous spheres that floated over the heads of the group and provided enough light for all of them.
After advancing a good while through a labyrinthine structure of tunnels and passageways, the White Magician said to them:
“It must be around here, be alert…”
After taking a few more steps cautiously, the albino magician made a stop sign.
“I have detected its mind: it is in that bend, on the right, and it is frightened; it’s a dragon calf, but already of considerable size. Don't let your guard down. Stay here, if we all go, it would be more frightened," warned the magician in a whisper.
When he was going to continue in search of the young dragon, he heard as Lirieth demanded, hopefully and firmly:
“Master, please, let me try first. It's a good opportunity to learn and practice, perhaps the only one we can have.”
The snowy magician turned and looked at the princess, who looked back at him expectantly, then at Syriel, who nodded cautiously, and finally at Baldrich, who shrugged.
Then he stepped aside and went to the princess.
"Go ahead, with gentleness, but with confidence and with much caution,” the White Magician warned Lirieth, after a slow nod and a deep gratitude, advanced with maximum prudence until she disappeared behind the bend.
The princess continued down the narrow passageway with very smooth and slow movements, without wielding any weapons. Suddenly she heard a slight grunt a few yards further to the right, and suddenly she saw gleaming eyes, expressing more fear than curiosity, staring at her.
She stopped and muttered reassuring words as she approached with extreme caution. The young dragon recoiled nervously and roared menacingly. Lirieth did not give up and continued to move forward energetically, but with much softness and soothing messages from mind to calf. The dragon shook and, moving into the threat position, body stretched and wings open, it tried to blow a puff of fire, but only a jet of hot air came out almost harmless.
Lirieth replied with a calm smile and affectionate cuddle, noticing how the mind of the little one opened with certain doubts, which he took advantage of to infuse her dominion as the White Magician had been teaching her the last days, with sweetness, but without showing fear, and with security and confidence in herself. Suddenly, she noticed as if someone would have opened an invisible door between the dragon and her and felt her mind unite with his.
She sensed the anguish and fear that the young calf felt when it lost all contact with its mother. The princess approached and tenderly caressed the now calmer dragon and mentally told it not to fear anything, that they would help it
